Rick, great point about the fickle I's; as the two parties become more partisan polling accuracy goes down the tubes (November's bigger-than-expected GOP rout a good and recent example). My own prediction is that it may be tougher sledding for Hillary or any Dem just because there's so much mischief and voter discontent that O can still cause in the remainder of his term.

The NY Times editors endorsed Hillarity! in 2008, eventually prompting a mini-revolt in the newsroom, which backed Obama. But there won't be any equivocation this time around - the NY Times delivers a comically uncritical "assessment" of one of the themes of Hillarity! 2016: Clinton ’16 Would Gi...

The NY Times editors endorsed Hillarity! in 2008, eventually prompting a mini-revolt in the newsroom, which backed Obama. But there won't be any equivocation this time around - the NY Times delivers a comically uncritical "assessment" of one of the themes of Hillarity! 2016: Clinton ’16 Would Gi...

The NY Times editors endorsed Hillarity! in 2008, eventually prompting a mini-revolt in the newsroom, which backed Obama. But there won't be any equivocation this time around - the NY Times delivers a comically uncritical "assessment" of one of the themes of Hillarity! 2016: Clinton ’16 Would Gi...

The NY Times editors endorsed Hillarity! in 2008, eventually prompting a mini-revolt in the newsroom, which backed Obama. But there won't be any equivocation this time around - the NY Times delivers a comically uncritical "assessment" of one of the themes of Hillarity! 2016: Clinton ’16 Would Gi...

Cap'n, I haven't been "periodically shilling", you've probably noticed the one or two (tops) times that I've spoken well of Jeb here because no one else does it. I think every Republican candidate has something that the media will try to make hay out of, but it's up to the candidate (as you note with the example of Romney) to deflect that.

The NY Times editors endorsed Hillarity! in 2008, eventually prompting a mini-revolt in the newsroom, which backed Obama. But there won't be any equivocation this time around - the NY Times delivers a comically uncritical "assessment" of one of the themes of Hillarity! 2016: Clinton ’16 Would Gi...

The NY Times editors endorsed Hillarity! in 2008, eventually prompting a mini-revolt in the newsroom, which backed Obama. But there won't be any equivocation this time around - the NY Times delivers a comically uncritical "assessment" of one of the themes of Hillarity! 2016: Clinton ’16 Would Gi...

I have nothing against Rand Paul, and would try to vote for him at least two or three times if he was the nominee. And Walker is great; I don't think he's done (said) a thing wrong yet (even the "I've stood up to protesters, so I could stand up to ISIS too" thing is fine with me). I think Jeb has the best shot at beating Clinton or any other Dem, though (not to mention that I just like Jeb, period). I do understand, though, a conservative's suspicion that Bush would complete a sorry trifecta that started with moderates McCain and Romney, and the determination not to get fooled again like that. I, personally, think that Jeb bears no resemblance to McCain or Romney.

The NY Times editors endorsed Hillarity! in 2008, eventually prompting a mini-revolt in the newsroom, which backed Obama. But there won't be any equivocation this time around - the NY Times delivers a comically uncritical "assessment" of one of the themes of Hillarity! 2016: Clinton ’16 Would Gi...

The NY Times editors endorsed Hillarity! in 2008, eventually prompting a mini-revolt in the newsroom, which backed Obama. But there won't be any equivocation this time around - the NY Times delivers a comically uncritical "assessment" of one of the themes of Hillarity! 2016: Clinton ’16 Would Gi...

Cap'n, you think Jeb has more ticking time bombs than any other candidate? I don't; I don't think that's seriously an issue, but I am pretty sure that it's a cheap shot for a fellow Republican to bring that stuff up (as per Reagan's 11th commandment, anyway).

The NY Times editors endorsed Hillarity! in 2008, eventually prompting a mini-revolt in the newsroom, which backed Obama. But there won't be any equivocation this time around - the NY Times delivers a comically uncritical "assessment" of one of the themes of Hillarity! 2016: Clinton ’16 Would Gi...

But NK, if extremism in the defense of liberty is personified by walking out an invited speaker (or making personal attacks on a candidate's wife), then the pursuers of liberty aren't particularly admirable.

The NY Times editors endorsed Hillarity! in 2008, eventually prompting a mini-revolt in the newsroom, which backed Obama. But there won't be any equivocation this time around - the NY Times delivers a comically uncritical "assessment" of one of the themes of Hillarity! 2016: Clinton ’16 Would Gi...

Well, Cap'n, when Laura Ingraham is making snide comments about Jeb buying his wife jewelry, it's not so much that I don't "believe" her as that I think it's a rather sad spectacle to behold. Jeb, the cause of the new BDS, this time from the right. It's not enough, apparently, that there's nothing Jeb could possibly do to get into double digits at CPAC's end-of-session popularity vote - it's important along the way for the CPAC participants to smear Jeb and his wife just for good measure.

The NY Times editors endorsed Hillarity! in 2008, eventually prompting a mini-revolt in the newsroom, which backed Obama. But there won't be any equivocation this time around - the NY Times delivers a comically uncritical "assessment" of one of the themes of Hillarity! 2016: Clinton ’16 Would Gi...

Laura Ingraham, at CPAC, spews low-class snark at Jeb and his wife:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/27/laura-ingraham-jeb-bush_n_6768936.html
Very classy, and perhaps a prelude to true believers walking out on the invited speaker later today (now that is bound to show Jeb the error of his ways - if Jeb is supposed to be the adult in the room, those filing out can stake claim to the little babies category).
Meanwhile, Noonan quotes all the Jeb naysayers and crafts some invective of her own over at the Journal:
http://www.wsj.com/articles/sorry-jeb-the-race-is-wide-open-1424994157
But then, Noonan has been largely wrong about everything post-1988, so there's that.

The NY Times editors endorsed Hillarity! in 2008, eventually prompting a mini-revolt in the newsroom, which backed Obama. But there won't be any equivocation this time around - the NY Times delivers a comically uncritical "assessment" of one of the themes of Hillarity! 2016: Clinton ’16 Would Gi...

Ignatz, I think I understand what you mean by context; for his audience, at that event, and (especially) in a vacuum the comments are not scandalous. But the timing sure is lousy. Obama calls out ancient transgressions in the name of Christ, but can we even imagine him saying Mohammad's name out loud, let alone specifically stating that adherents of Mohammad have committed atrocities?

Brian Williams lied and his credibility died. Or did it? And why say he was lying when the human memory is so mysterious? I'll say this - from Whitewater to Bosnia Democratic front-runner Hillarity! has the most convenient forgettery ever. When she switches to "I can't recall" mode it's hard to ...

rse, gov't loss on student debt will continue to increase dramatically as the loan servicing agencies advertise to debtors that they can go on the "income-based" plans where they pay essentially nothing and then get the loan forgiven after a period of time. Previous arrangements, where a debtor could defer payments for several years, are being replaced with a system where many debtors get a monthly payment of zero to keep them in compliance (the taxpayer, of course, foots the bill). In fact, Sen. Warren castigated her state's loan servicing company, Sallie Mae, for ostensibly not going quite far enough to inform clients about the free rides. So, if you borrowed for school and earn a good living, your debt is on and the gov't expects every penny plus some pretty fat interest payments; on the other hand, if you borrowed a ton for an art history degree but now work at Starbucks, all if forgiven and you're off scot-free after "paying" nothing or close to nothing for 10 or 15 years. I think it will, unfortunately, be very difficult for any GOP president to change the trajectory of this mess.

Conrad Black trenchantly eviscerates the SOTU address in today's Sun:
http://www.nysun.com/national/on-orgy-of-claptrap-is-the-way-to-describe-state/89023/
Re: American Sniper, I saw some youtube outtakes of the filming and noticed how happy and confident and comfortable Clint looks - good for him.

The NY Times throws a bucket of cold water into the faces of their Upper West Side readership - torture can be morally justified, says a Deep Thinking Philosopher. In frare instances, of course: My interviewee is Jeff McMahan, White’s Professor of Moral Philosophy at the University of Oxford. He...

Hey JiB, is this the biggest Super Bowl in history the same way that every election is the most important of our lifetimes? I agree that no penalties will be forthcoming until after the game, and think that the Patriots will get absolutely blown out, with Brady's performance inexplicably...distracted.

Was it really just four months ago that Obama was explaining (to bipartisan derision) that his new operation against ISIS would be modeled on our Big Success in Yemen? Well, the government of Yemen has fallen and the country is splintered: SANA, Yemen — The American-backed government of Yemen ab...

Great point, Gus @ 9:24, it's worth remembering that O and his minions not only kept that lie going for so long, but also that they used it as a "teachable moment" to lecture those who would dare call terrorism terrorism. Ultimately, O and those like O helped facilitate their prediction - truly, in France today the future doesn't belong to some of those who slandered Muhammad (they've been shot dead).

The Times: Gunmen in Paris Kill 12 at Offices of Satirical Newspaper Charlie Hebdo PARIS — Masked gunmen opened fire in the offices of a French satirical newspaper on Wednesday in Paris, the police said, with initial reports saying that as many as 12 people had been killed and 10 wounded. Xavier...

The Times: Gunmen in Paris Kill 12 at Offices of Satirical Newspaper Charlie Hebdo PARIS — Masked gunmen opened fire in the offices of a French satirical newspaper on Wednesday in Paris, the police said, with initial reports saying that as many as 12 people had been killed and 10 wounded. Xavier...

The Times: Gunmen in Paris Kill 12 at Offices of Satirical Newspaper Charlie Hebdo PARIS — Masked gunmen opened fire in the offices of a French satirical newspaper on Wednesday in Paris, the police said, with initial reports saying that as many as 12 people had been killed and 10 wounded. Xavier...

Gawker reviews Lena Dunhams original book proposal, which had a different and more detailed version or her "rape" story. The Daily Caller takeaway: Gawker Thinks They Found Lena Dunham’s Alleged Rapist… And He’s A Democrat If Lena Dunham had not felt obliged to play to her base she would have le...

"Contemporary interpretation are legal authorities.
Wikipedia is evidence."
Yes, it must be false, because I found it on the internet. Black's Law Dictionary "is the most widely used law dictionary in the United States. It was founded by Henry Campbell Black (1860–1927). It is the reference of choice for definitions in legal briefs and court opinions and has been cited as a secondary legal authority in many U.S. Supreme Court cases."
In other words, evidence written by legal authorities. New thread, by the way.

Barack Obama, Eric Holder and Al Sharpton all add to their power by dividing the nation along racial lines. But why single them out? Every long-term strategy for the Democratic Party at the national level I have seen relies on the Dems collecting 90% of the black vote and a huge disproportion of...

Gawker reviews Lena Dunhams original book proposal, which had a different and more detailed version or her "rape" story. The Daily Caller takeaway: Gawker Thinks They Found Lena Dunham’s Alleged Rapist… And He’s A Democrat If Lena Dunham had not felt obliged to play to her base she would have le...

"So where is this list found?"
What necessitates a list? If you look at the Contemporary Interpretations of Natural-born Citizen Clause of the Constitution (which is not specifically defined by the founders and for whose precise meaning "various opinions have been offered over time"), I don't see any that differ dramatically from the first contemporary interpretation offered here, Black's Law Dictionary, which defines it as "a person born within the jurisdiction of a national government". Where's the list of those who feel otherwise?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural-born-citizen_clause#Contemporary_interpretations

Barack Obama, Eric Holder and Al Sharpton all add to their power by dividing the nation along racial lines. But why single them out? Every long-term strategy for the Democratic Party at the national level I have seen relies on the Dems collecting 90% of the black vote and a huge disproportion of...

"That has longer term repercussions in the growing distaste for large federal programs."
It is, perhaps, true that most Americans will at least claim to dislike sprawling programs. But since very few will abide suggestions that the programs we're already saddled with should be eliminated or even modified beyond small tweaks, it's difficult to see how SCOTUS green-lighting another one works out to anyone's benefit in the long run.

The NY Times delivered a multi-layered head-scratcher just in time for the New Year festivities. In the course of a long article extolling the skill, preparation and motivational ability of Detroit Lions coach Jim Caldwell, we learn this: With the postseason beckoning, Caldwell has conditioned h...

The NY Times delivered a multi-layered head-scratcher just in time for the New Year festivities. In the course of a long article extolling the skill, preparation and motivational ability of Detroit Lions coach Jim Caldwell, we learn this: With the postseason beckoning, Caldwell has conditioned h...